CITRONELLA OIL
| Botanical Name | Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt. |
| Synonyms | - |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Local Name | Citronella |
| English Name | Citronella (Java) |
Plant Description
Citronella is cultivated in Nepal at an altitude of 500-1600m. It is tall aromatic perennial grass reaching up to 2m in height. Leaves fragrant, leaf blade linear, tapering to a long membranous, acuminate tip. The inflorescence is large and drooping and ends in racemose pair supported by the proper sheaths; Racemes are sessile or short; longer pedicelled with two lower spikelets. Propagation is extensively carried out by slips (vegetative method).
Extraction
Citronella oil is obtained by steam distillation of partially wilted leaves of Cymbopogon winterianus.
Uses
The essential oil produced from this crop is of immense significance due to its use in perfume, soap, cosmetics, detergent, and flavor industries at low concentrations and the pharmaceutical industry. The ethnopharmacological evidence as well as the scientific community has also proved its different biological activities like anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticonvulsant activities, which is of great value to the pharmaceutical industries.
Organoleptic Properties
| Appearance: | Fluid liquid |
| Colour: | Light Yellow or Yellowish Brown |
| Aroma: | Fresh and sweet,Powerful,citronella! scent |
Active Constituents
Geraniol, citronellol (dominating in the Java oil, about 80%), geranyl acetate, limonene, citronellyl acetate, elemol, and camphene are active constituents. Others are citronellal, neral, β -caryophyllene, β -elemene, γ -cadinene and traces of cubenene, calamenene, bourbonene, bisabolene, eugenol, nerol, linalool etc.
Physico-Chemical Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.870 to 0.95 at 25 °C?> |
| Optical rotation | (-)5° to (-)0° at 25°C?> |
| Refractive index | 1.466 to 1.4850 at 25 °C?> |
| Acid number | 0.5 to 3.5 |
| Ester number | 20 to 40 |
| Ester number | 250 to 280 (after acetylation) |
| Solubility | Soluble in 0.8 to 1.5 volumes of 80% ethanol, Insoluble in water |